Get ready to return to Cousins Beach with season 2 of The Summer I Turned Pretty!
The Amazon Prime Video series is adapted from Jenny Han’s best-selling book trilogy of the same name and follows Isabel “Belly” Conklin (Lola Tung) as she navigates friendships and relationships over the course of a Summer in the fictional Cousins Beach.
Season 1 of The Summer I Turned Pretty premiered in June 2022, marking the second novel adaptation for Han. She is also the bestselling author and executive producer of Netflix's To All The Boys I've Loved Before trilogy, and producers and writers were eager to adapt The Summer I Turned Pretty into a series.
"There had been interest over the years," she told outlet in June 2022. "But I always said no, and now I think it's because I actually really wanted to be able to do it myself — and to do it the way that I envisioned it."
While the books are largely told from Belly’s point of view, Han — who acts as a writer, co-showrunner and executive producer of the show — made it a point to follow each of the characters with more depth in the TV series, including Belly’s mom Laurel (Jackie Chung).
"I was really interested in seeing women at different points in their lives, coming of age," Han told outlet. "Belly is coming of age, and so is Laurel — coming out of a divorce, and she's about to be at a big emotional crossroads where her life is changing in really big ways."
The show’s second season will premiere on Amazon Prime Video with a three-episode drop on July 14, 2023. New episodes will air weekly, leading up to the finale on Aug. 18. This season will follow the story of the trilogy's second book, It's Not Summer Without You.
Ahead, here’s everything to know about the cast of The Summer I Turned Pretty.
Lola Tung as Isabel “Belly” Conklin
Lola Tung, 20, plays Isabel “Belly” Conklin, the show’s teenage protagonist, who is navigating friendships and relationships while on her yearly summer vacation to Cousins Beach.
With the actress only a few years older than her character, Tung told outlet in June 2022 that she tapped into many of her own experiences for the show.
"This was the summer that she was really discovering who she was and who she wanted to be and creating her own path and finding her independence. And I related to that a lot,” she said. "I'm in that period of my life where I'm figuring things out and I'm sort of coming into my own as well, so getting to do that in her shoes has been really cool."
Born in New York City, the actress graduated from LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts in 2020. She was a freshman studying at Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama when she submitted her audition tape for the show in early 2021.
Marking her acting debut, Tung’s breakout role in The Summer I Turned Pretty places her in the middle of a love triangle between brothers Conrad and Jeremiah Fisher. As for her personal take on the debate over who is best for Belly, the actress told outlet she’s firmly on “Team Belly” and worked hard to develop all her character’s relationships on the show.
"I root for what she wants and what makes her happy,” Tung said. "I put a lot of weight on all of the one-on-one scenes with the boys, because those relationships are so important in the story and to Belly — her relationships with Conrad and Jeremiah and Cam.”
Christopher Briney as Conrad Fisher
Christopher Briney, 25, plays Conrad Fisher, Belly’s childhood crush and the older son of Susannah Fisher.
Briney told POPSUGAR in June 2022 that he initially didn’t like the character, who is very distant in the first season. "When I first read the book and when the script started coming in, I was like, 'This dude kind of sucks.’ He's really rude and he's not telling people how he feels, and that's why he's in all this trouble," he said.
But, he grew to understand the character better as he delved deeper into the role. "He's just young and ... just trying to keep it together for the people he loves," the actor explained. "Yes, he owes an apology to some people in the world, but he's 17. He can make mistakes. He's going to continue to make mistakes, and he's just hurt."
Born and raised in Connecticut, the actor moved to N.Y.C. to attend Pace University, where he studied acting for Film, TV, voiceover and commercial. He’s also appeared in the film Daliland and will take on the role of Aaron Samuels in Paramount Pictures’ Mean Girls: The Musical.
As for his personal life, Briney has been dating girlfriend Isabel Machado since 2021.
Gavin Casalegno as Jeremiah Fisher
Gavin Casalegno, 23, plays Jeremiah Fisher, Conrad’s younger brother and another love interest for Belly.
He started acting in 2010, and his credits include guest appearances on The Vampire Diaries and Walker. Casalegno has also starred in a few films like Darren Aronofsky’s Noah, When the Game Stands Tall and the upcoming wrestling film Queen of the Ring.
For his breakout role in The Summer I Turned Pretty, Casalegno couldn’t believe how connected he was to the character of Jeremiah.
“I actually told Jenny this the first time [I met] her. I was like, 'Did you talk to my mom or something? How? Did you read my diary? What's going on?' ” he told POPSUGAR in June 2022. “I was like, you know, this character is so similar to who I am, it would be a shame if I didn't do it.”
As for the exact ways in which he’s similar to his character, Casalegno said: “Just Jeremiah's happy-go-lucky attitude, his wanting to be the life of the party, that golden retriever kind of feel, but also deep down that insecure and maybe lacking confidence Jeremiah that you don't get to see very often. And I think he carries a lot more weight on his shoulders than is shown.”
In his personal life, the star began dating model and actress Larsen Thompson in 2016. While neither has confirmed their breakup, Thompson has removed all photos of the pair on her Instagram.
Sean Kaufman as Steven Conklin
Sean Kaufman, 23, plays Steven Conklin, Belly’s older brother. While the character is not prominent in the books, Steven has his own storyline in the show.
“There is something beautiful about having a flawed character, not only from an actor's perspective but from an audience's perspective, because it allows one to sympathize with the character,” Kaufman told Timid Magazine about his role. “Steven is that perfect example for me — throughout the show, he is constantly messing up, as all kids do (very much), while he learns to grow up and become a ‘man.’ "
Kaufman added, "He constantly falls on his face but is always there to admit his missteps, apologize for his mistakes, and learn from them, truly solidifying his growth from a boy to a man.”
Born in N.Y.C., he graduated from LaGuardia High School of Music & Art and Performing Arts and studied acting at the State University of New York at Purchase's Acting Conservatory for four years. He’s also had a recurring guest star role on Manifest.
Rain Spencer as Taylor Jewel
Rain Spencer, 24, plays Taylor, Belly’s childhood best friend.
David Iacono as Cam
David Iacono, 21, plays Cam, a Cousins Beach local and Belly’s first boyfriend. While the character doesn’t appear in the second and third novels, the actor will be back for season 2.
Summer Madison as Nicole Richardson
Summer Madison plays Nicole, Belly’s big sister for the debutante ball and Conrad’s love interest in season 1.
Jackie Chung as Laurel Park
Jackie Chung, 62, plays Laurel Park, Belly and Steven’s mom, who has been lifelong friends with Susannah Fisher. The actress hadn’t read the books before auditioning for the show but was immediately drawn to the character based on the script.
Rachel Blanchard as Susannah “Beck” Fisher
Rachel Blanchard, 47, plays Susannah Fisher, Laurel’s best friend, as well as Conrad and Jeremiah’s mother.
Alfredo Narciso as Cleveland Castillo
Alfredo Narciso, 49, plays Cleveland Castillo, a novelist who mentors Conrad and is a love interest for Belly’s mom Laurel.
Tom Everett Scott as Adam Fisher
Tom Everett Scott, 52, plays Adam Fisher, Conrad and Jeremiah’s father.
Colin Ferguson as John Conklin
Colin Ferguson, 50, plays John Conklin, Belly and Steven’s father.
Minnie Mills as Shayla Wang
Minnie Mills, 21, plays Shayla Wang, one of the debutantes and Steven’s girlfriend in season 1.
Elsie Fisher as Skye
Elsie Fisher, 20, joins the cast of The Summer I Turned Pretty in season 2 as Skye. The character is not featured in the books.
Kyra Sedgwick
Kyra Sedgwick, 57, is another new addition to the season 2 cast of The Summer I Turned Pretty, though her character has yet to be announced. She shared the casting news via Instagram in August 2022 and said she “couldn’t be more excited” to join the show.